Long Distance Cycling - That one guy on every century

Is it just me, or do you all get passed, late in every century ride, but a sick-fast roadie?

I've been rolling 16-17 for about 4 hours (for me, a great pace). Here comes carbon-fiber dude at about 29, zipping by. He's got a number, so he's in the ride. But, at the pace he should be done by now, and how was he behind me for that long?

1. He waits an hour at the start, just to be sporting.

2. He stops for a few beers mid-ride.

3. He's going around the second time, and I just got lapped.

4. A "ghost biker".

5. Other (please explain, are you that guy?).

Every single organized ride. There's a lot of local racing teams around here that use them as training rides. I also don't see any of them at the "official" start time, so it's safe to assume they're heading out an hour or so after me.

No concern of mine, though. If they're having fun with their ride, that's all that matters. The ones that I get a kick out of are the no-endurance speed demons: 20mph average from one rest stop to the next, but they need a 20 minute break to recover at each stop.

yup, he just started 2 hours after you ;)

He's doing a negative split, going slower at the start and faster in the 2nd half or so. And not everyone gets to the start line at the same time that you do.

And as long as he doesn't knock you over, why worry? There's someone faster than him out there as well.

I'm not bothered that he's faster than me. These "counter-intuitive" incidents bother me, because there does not seem to be a logical answer. I suppose the negative-split "could" make sense, IF the guy goes say, 13 and then 26. Is that how it works?

The late start makes less sense to me, if it was planned. Racer guy could avoid the mob at the start by waiting for people to spread out. But, he would still have to pass a lot of slower riders, often waiting for traffic to allow a pass. Why not just shoot out at the at the start and never look back, like the rest of the speedfreaks?

Why not just shoot out at the at the start and never look back, like the rest of the speedfreaks?

Because he doesn't like them either?

The ones that I get a kick out of are the no-endurance speed demons: 20mph average from one rest stop to the next, but they need a 20 minute break to recover at each stop.

Or maybe that's just their natural pace and they choose to stop at the rest stops like everyone else to chat with friends they haven't seen in a while or just enjoy the day. I'm sure a lot of those 'no endurance' types could just as easily ride straight through at that same pace.

Or maybe that's just their natural pace and they choose to stop at the rest stops like everyone else to chat with friends they haven't seen in a while or just enjoy the day. I'm sure a lot of those 'no endurance' types could just as easily ride straight through at that same pace.

Some might be, but I'm thinking of the crew I that was playing tortise-and-the-hare with me and keithm0 yesterday at Flying Wheels. Every rest stop, they'd be there with their shoes off, laying in the grass taking a breather.
I'm sure there's plenty of social aspect riders who're just fast, then take time to hang out and BS with people at the rest stops.

Some might be, but I'm thinking of the crew I that was playing tortise-and-the-hare with me and keithm0 yesterday at Flying Wheels. Every rest stop, they'd be there with their shoes off, laying in the grass taking a breather.
I'm sure there's plenty of social aspect riders who're just fast, then take time to hang out and BS with people at the rest stops.

I see that too. Some people are just like that. There have been a couple rides recently where I start at the same time as a group, and they finish about the same time as I do, but during the ride they go all out but spend an hour at each stop.

Back when I was that guy, I often got to centuries late for one reason or another.

Maybe he likes the "thrill of the chase" therefore starting late and chasing the pack down, rather than blitzing everyone off the starting line and then no one to chase.

he doesn't like getting up early? he sat in a restaurant eating a nice meal for a couple hours before he started, instead of wolfing down a stale bagel or costco muffin at the start? he drove there in the morning instead of staying in a hotel? morning sesh with the g/f? it's warmer to start at 8:30 than 6:00? he stopped for a coffee?

and the rest stops- catching up with old friends, chatting up the chicks, enjoying the sun... doesn't have to mean they are trashed just b/c they are hanging out at the stops.

Imagine this was a 40 mile ride that most people did at 10 mph, would you show up at the very start and ride all the way through carefully limiting your time at the rest stops if it was that easy for you?

Unless everyone lines up - and a guy shouts go - most organized rides are actually collections of dozens or even hundreds of individual rides. Every one doing their own thing - choosing their own rest stops and schedules.

There's little point to guessing about a cyclist's abilities on most of these rides. For instance, I often ride charity events as "recovery" or "off-day" rides. I see no point to in riding so fast as to cause danger or stress to other cyclists along the way.

On the other hand, some people need to do their thing, and show their "stuff" - that's why old-hands call most of these events "vanity rides." They are meant for people who need the attention to either just get on the bike - or show off what they can do.

On the other hand, some people need to do their thing, and show their "stuff" - that's why old-hands call most of these events "vanity rides." They are meant for people who need the attention to either just get on the bike - or show off what they can do.

I have never met anyone who needs attention just to get on a bike. And not everyone who is stronger and faster than you is "showing off."

For my part, the old hands can kiss my arse. If I chose to ride a fast century, it's because I'm setting a personal goal, not trying to impress other cyclists.

Yeah. Dang those guys! 29 is way too fast to be useful. I like the 22-23 guys. Now them's the ones where sucking wheel is doable. :thumb:

maybe he works a night job, seriously. I do and I never make it to an 8 am start on an organized ride. i need my sleep

...Imagine this was a 40 mile ride that most people did at 10 mph, would you show up at the very start and ride all the way through carefully limiting your time at the rest stops if it was that easy for you?

That puts a good perspective on it. I suppose I would ride with newbie friends to encourage them. I would probably hook up the dog trailer to make it more challenging and fun. Or, I might try the racing bike and ride it through at 20. I'm still not seeing how I would end up rolling by 10 mph guy 3 hours into it at 23 or 24, but maybe, for some odd reason...


Unless everyone lines up - and a guy shouts go...

Funny, that's exactly how it started, but I get what you were saying.

Is it just me, or do you all get passed, late in every century ride, but a sick-fast roadie?

I've been rolling 16-17 for about 4 hours (for me, a great pace). Here comes carbon-fiber dude at about 29, zipping by. He's got a number, so he's in the ride. But, at the pace he should be done by now, and how was he behind me for that long?

1. He waits an hour at the start, just to be sporting.

2. He stops for a few beers mid-ride.

3. He's going around the second time, and I just got lapped.

4. A "ghost biker".

5. Other (please explain, are you that guy?).

I'm usually that guy. I like to sleep in.

If I chose to ride a fast century, it's because I'm setting a personal goal, not trying to impress other cyclists.

+1. Organized centuries are great because I don't have to carry ~8 lbs. of food and water on my back, and I don't have to worry about finding a bathroom. I can just go and focus on a good ride, whatever that means. For me it has often meant shooting for a new PR.

But the only time you'll ever see me doing 29 is down a steep hill. ;)

I have never met anyone who needs attention just to get on a bike. And not everyone who is stronger and faster than you is "showing off."

For my part, the old hands can kiss my arse. If I chose to ride a fast century, it's because I'm setting a personal goal, not trying to impress other cyclists. Looks like the truth hurts. Or, you could try to actually read my comment. Or why did you know I was talking about you? Hmm?

Or why did you know I was talking about you?

Because it's widely believed you can't tell humans apart?

For the most part I have seen this with fast groups that stop at every rest stop for about 45 minutes. Nothing wrong with it everyone is out for a different reason.

During last weekends Flying wheels ride I was that guy. I rode the first 60 miles with a friend at a reasonable pace. Average speed was about 17 mph. At mile 60 I found a fast group, was feeling good, and was confident I could finish the ride if I hammered for a few miles. So I hammered, passing people at 28 mph, for about 20 miles and dropped off when I could no longer sustain that pace and finish the ride without complete misery. I waited at a friends house on the route (seriously contemplated drinking a beer but refrained til after) for about 45 minutes for one of my friends on the ride to catch up. Rode the rest of the way with the friend at my previous pace.

I am also training for a 200 mile (STP) in a few weeks so I wanted to add a bit more effort to the ride to help the conditioning. Oh, and it was a ton of fun to chase down them racer boys.

I'll add some anectodes to the pile.... last October I did the Lighthouse century (San Luis Obispo) with my wife. We got a late start because she was tired and wanted to take a nap in the car but we were not the last on the road. About halfway through she was having some problems and ended up getting sagged after the lunch stop so I continued on at my own pace. I caught tons of people and I was riding at a leisurely (for me) pace, not racing or trying to "show off"

I did another earlier this year (April) as a break from racing every weekend. It was a hilly century with about 11-12k of climbing and they time you so some people treat it like a race but I didn't really care. There was an open start window (they recorded your start time) with most of the fast guys leaving at the end of it, 8:00. I had driven up with some friends and they wanted to start at 7:30 so that's what we did. I caught and passed tons of people and at one point was ahead of everyone on the road (many of whom started well over an hour before me) except for one guy that started at the same time as me (he actually about 2 minutes before me).

I did a double century nearly two years ago that had two start times, and I started with the later group. About 30 miles in the pace picked up and a small group broke off the front with me in it (hanging on the back). We didn't stop at the first rest stop about 40 miles in, after 50 miles I unhitched myself from the group, and by 60 miles I had passed all the people that started hours ahead...

Althoug it looks impressive, doesn't mean squat really. I just did Ride Around the Bear, a climbing century. On the way down I hit the last 5 mile stetch to back to the finish line/timekeper. I was cranking as hard as I could after climbing the 10,000 ft (this year same course advertised as 9,000- I guess the mtns are shrinking!:eek:).

I was doing 30 when I noticed a blue train flying up behind me. Not my style to draft on organized rides so I tried to outrun them knowing I wouldn't, just motivation to keep the pace up. So they roll by ina very nicely organized line. 4 dudes, all mean and lean looking dudes with matching race jerseys. Front guy pulled for 30 seconds then moved to the back. Very nice and these guys looked like bad arses.:thumb:

I could see that they finished about 1/8 of amile ahead of me. I read the jerseys when they went by. Results were posted on the net and what the hey!:eek:..I finished the timed event 20 minutes ahead of all 4 team members!:D

Looks impressive but doens't mean that they finish ahead of you. depends on what start time. I've had friends blow by me on another ride 5 miles from the finish. Their time was 8:00+ and mine 5:45 for the century.:p

I've seen that too, at the 90 mile mark on a century, been out there 8.5 hours, and here comes a paceline chugging past. Go figure.

I've seen that too, at the 90 mile mark on a century, been out there 8.5 hours, and here comes a paceline chugging past. Go figure.

That's because most centuries have a wide range of start times - 7:00 am -10 am for example with a mass start of say 8:00 am. Then groups often do them as training rides and enjoy the rest stops. So they work hard for 20 miles; stop, eat and chat; and go back and push it for another 20 miles.

I've also passed people on a century ride when I was just out riding, i.e. not on the century myself. You can't assume that everybody else you see is on the same ride as you.

I saw "that guy" on a ride and asked him about it. He did the 30-mile option towing his kid,and then took off on his own for the century.

I saw "that guy" on a ride and asked him about it. He did the 30-mile option towing his kid,and then took off on his own for the century.

That is about the best reason I could imagine; way to go, racer dad! I would ask these guys, too, if I could ever keep up with one.

It seems the more general answer is that a century is not a major event for racer guy. If he wants to sleep in, do something else first, add a side ride to the 100, no big deal.

It seems the more general answer is that a century is not a major event for racer guy. If he wants to sleep in, do something else first, add a side ride to the 100, no big deal.

pretty much.

That is about the best reason I could imagine; way to go, racer dad! I would ask these guys, too, if I could ever keep up with one.

It seems the more general answer is that a century is not a major event for racer guy. If he wants to sleep in, do something else first, add a side ride to the 100, no big deal.

I thought so too. I was way in the back of the 100-mile folks, so he had a long way to go to find a decent group to ride with. But, he had his priorities in order.

Maybe this is a guy who is not in the ride at all but drives his car to the last five mile stretch and then blows by everyone at full speed just to mess with your head. :lol:

Every single organized ride. There's a lot of local racing teams around here that use them as training rides. I also don't see any of them at the "official" start time, so it's safe to assume they're heading out an hour or so after me.

No concern of mine, though. If they're having fun with their ride, that's all that matters. The ones that I get a kick out of are the no-endurance speed demons: 20mph average from one rest stop to the next, but they need a 20 minute break to recover at each stop.

I recently posted my experience from my Death Valley 100 Ride sponsored each March and October.. It took us a little under six hours to do 100 miles. But, I posted that some riders got back from a 200 miler in not much longer than our 100 mile ride.. I found out later some were from the now defunct Mercury pro Team and others from the nearby US cycling team in San Diego.. . Just about double our average. Among pro's guess this is possible. ( Seems like their 200 mile was done in something over seven hours.
So. yes. Group rides can be used by professionals as opportunities to train.

I'm often "that guy" at centuries. Not the super fast guy who started late -- because I'm not even vaguely fast -- but I am the one whose approach to a century makes no sense to some of the other riders.

I've seen people get genuinely upset that I'm carrying uneccessary weight on my bike. The one time I rode with panniers (because I was headed straight to work after the ride, and hadn't seen anywhere safe to leave the bags at the start) really seemed to bother 'em, but even a headlight will do it. "Why would you carry that light? Have you actually got BATTERIES in that thing? We'll be done way before dark!"

Note that these aren't people I'm riding with, who might be infinitesimally inconvenienced by the fact that I'm hauling a few extra ounces over the mountain; just random strangers who are apparently really unhappy that I'm not taking the ride seriously enough.

I once even became a focus of disbelief on a ride because I had SPD sandals. People would actually come up to me at rest stops and say "You're the guy we heard about with the sandals!" And as we got near the end, "I think the guy with the sandals might actually finish! In SANDALS!"

From the perspective of a Fredish commuter who rides every day and enjoys it, a century is just a vaguely organized way to get together with a bunch of people and ride for a few extra hours, while kicking a few bucks toward a good cause (since the entry fee usually goes to some worthwhile cycling organization.) There's not really a right way or a wrong way to do it...so I'm all in favor of the fast guy who slept in a couple extra hours. I'd buy him a beer, except that I'll never catch him. (It's that damned headlight slowing me down!)

Ive got a theory for the dudes that right hard and take longer brakes.

In some of the training I do for MMA and weightloss, a major theme is not doing sustained cardio, but spiking high intensity in bursts. So, instead of your heart rate staying at a low 110-130 for most of the trip, you would be averaging 150-170 for 20 minute bursts. This type of training drops weight faster. I dont quite thoroughly understand the biomechanics of it, but I know it works. Alot of runners do interval training like this too, where they sprint at 80% maximum for 30 seconds, and then jog slow for 60, over and over and over until the run is over.

This type of training drops weight fasterThat's bogus.

But for what its worth, there does seem to be an emphasis on "sporadic" ride efforts on group rides. Its much less often to see training rides practice steady efforts. This may be a result of the idea that you need a the group "mentality" to foster enough competitive juice to do really hard efforts.

In every case, when you put a large number of cyclists on a road - and they all do their own thing, you'll have some that simply cannot "relate" - and so you get threads about "that one guy" - like this.